Robotic Breakthrough in Touch, Look Who's Feeling Now

Up until recently there were robots that could smell, taste, see and hear. Now, thanks to researchers at USC, robots will be able to feel too. One of the researchers explains.

“So the BioTac is a fluid filled fingertip that’s the same size as the human finger. We’ve also implemented fingertips on the surface of the BioTac so that it can sense texture the same way humans can.”

According to PCMagazine, researchers put BioTac to the test in an experiment involving 117 common materials found in fabric, stationery and hardware stores.

“The robot's 99.6 percent performance rate in correctly discriminating pairs of similar textures was better than most humans would test...”

MSNBC pointed out that the field-test results are remarkable because feeling surfaces is no simple science.

“Touch involves many sensations: pressure, temperature, vibration, and is as much behavioral as it is mechanical. In order to identify an object, for instance, you might naturally press harder or lighter, or move your fingers in a different direction.”

So, how did the USC scientists manage to mimic a human’s natural ability to feel textures? PlanetSave explains.

“While the sensor slides over a textured surface, the ‘skin’ of the sensor vibrates in characteristic ways. ‘These vibrations are detected by a hydrophone inside the bone-like core of the finger. ’”

The BioTac may be better than humans at identifying textures, but in a lineup the faux finger can’t accurately give preference like humans do. Digital Trends explains why the robotic feeler is still far from being human.

“...it’s unable to pick up other sensations that humans require such as heat and cold. However, the researchers remain hopeful that it ‘could be used in human prostheses or to assist companies who employ experts to judge the feel of consumer products and even human skin. ’”

The basis for this research struck a nerve with DARPA, the NIH, the NSF and a few more, all of which are currently funding BioTac’s continued research.